Mobile IP communication scheme incorporating individual user authentication

Abstract

A mobile IP communication scheme capable of authenticating an individual user who is operating the mobile computer when the mobile computer is connected to a visited site network and transmits a current location registration message to the home agent is disclosed. A user authentication to judge a properness of a user of the mobile computer is carried out according to a user input based information, and the current location of the mobile computer is registered at the mobile computer management device (home agent) when the user is judged as a proper user. The user authentication can be carried out either at the mobile computer management device according to a user input based information received from the mobile computer, or at the mobile computer according to an information entered by the user at the mobile computer.

1. A mobile computer device capable of carrying out communications while moving over inter-connected networks, the mobile computer device comprising:
 a registration message transmission unit for transmitting a registration message containing an information on a current location of the mobile computer device, from outside a home network of the mobile computer device to a mobile computer management device located at the home network, the mobile computer management device having a function for managing the information on the current location of the mobile computer device and transferring packets destined to the mobile computer device to the current location of the mobile computer device; 
 a user input unit for accepting a user input for user authentication; and 
 a user-input-based information transmission unit for transmitting to the mobile computer management device a response message containing information based on the user input as a user authentication information, when a challenge message that requests returning of the user authentication information is received from the mobile computer management device in response to the registration message and the mobile computer management device is judged as proper. 
 
   
   
     2. A mobile computer device capable of carrying out communications while moving over inter-connected networks, the mobile computer device comprising:
 an external interface unit for reading out desired information from an external memory device connected to the mobile computer device, wherein the external memory device stores at least a user information and a network information to be used for communications at a visited site; 
 a user authentication unit for carrying out first user authentication locally at the mobile computer device according to the user information stored in the external memory device and a user input; 
 a registration message transmission unit for transmitting a registration message containing an information on a current location of the mobile computer device, from outside a home network of the mobile computer device to a mobile computer management device located at the home network, by using the network information read out from the external memory device under a control by the user authentication unit, when the first user authentication succeeds, the mobile computer management device having a function for managing the information on the current location of the mobile computer device and transferring packets destined to the mobile computer device to the current location of the mobile computer device; and 
 a user-input-based information transmission unit for transmitting to the mobile computer management device a user-input-based information to be used for second user authentication at the mobile computer management device. 
 
   
   
     3. An article of manufacture, comprising:
 a computer readable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing a computer to function as a mobile computer capable of carrying out communications while moving over inter-connected networks, the computer readable program code means includes: 
 first computer readable program code means for causing said computer to transmit a registration message containing an information on a current location of the mobile computer, from outside a home network of the mobile computer to a mobile computer management device located at the home network, the mobile computer management device having a function for managing the information on the current location of the mobile computer and transferring packets destined to the mobile computer to the current location of the mobile computer; and 
 second computer readable program code means for causing said computer to accept a user input for user authentication; and 
 third computer readable program code means for causing said computer to transmit to the mobile computer management device a response message containing information based on the user input as a user authentication information, when a challenge message that requests returning of the user authentication information is received from the mobile computer management device in response to the registration message and the mobile computer management device is judged as proper. 
 
   
   
     4. An article of manufacture, comprising:
 a computer readable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing a computer to function as a mobile computer device capable of carrying out communications while moving over inter-connected networks, the computer readable program code means includes: 
 first computer readable program code means for causing said computer to read out desired information from an external memory device connected to the mobile computer device, wherein the external memory device stores at least a user information and a network information to be used for communications at a visited site; 
 second computer readable program code means for causing said computer to carry out first user authentication locally at the mobile computer device according to the user information stored in the external memory device and a user input; 
 third computer readable program code means for causing said computer to transmit a registration message containing an information on a current location of the mobile computer device, from outside a home network of the mobile computer device to a mobile computer management device located at the home network, by using the network information read out from the external memory device under a control by the second computer readable program code means, when the first user authentication succeeds, the mobile computer management device having a function for managing the information on the current location of the mobile computer device and transferring packets destined to the mobile computer device to the current location of the mobile computer device; and 
 fourth computer readable program code means for causing said computer to transmit to the mobile computer management device a user-input-based information to be used for second user authentication at the mobile computer management device.